AMD processors in recent years have become excellent value offerings, performing nearly the same or better than some of its Intel counterparts, while costing less. It’s the same for its laptop processors too, which offer good performance and decent battery life. While AMD laptop offerings are not as plentiful as Intel offerings in India, there are some quality models out there, it’s important to know what AMD processor is right for you.
We’ve already seen how to identify Intel’s laptop CPU lineup, and it’s now time to take a closer look at AMD’s offerings. It’s a bit different with AMD as the processor numbering doesn’t always coincide with the architecture generation, leading to quite a bit of confusion. Before diving in the various processor models, it’s important to have an overview of AMD’s recent processor architectures so you can decide whether to buy a CPU based on it or not, depending on what you plan to do with your laptop.
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Not sure which
laptop to buy?
Which ‘Zen’ generation should I opt for?
AMD’s fortunes changed for the better when it introduced its Ryzen brand of CPUs based on its new ‘Zen’ architecture back in 2017. When it comes to laptop processors, you should be looking at a Zen 3-based processor or newer ideally for optimal performance and power efficiency. You’ll find many Ryzen 6000 series and 7000 series CPU models that are based on the Zen 3/ 3+ architecture. You need to be a little careful though as there are a couple of Ryzen 7000 series chips like the Ryzen 5 7520U and Ryzen 3 7320U that are based on Zen 2.
AMD’s Zen 4 is what you should be aiming for as this architecture brought about major CPU redesigns, a smaller 5nm fabrication process, and improved single-threaded performance. The Ryzen 7040/ 45 series and 8000 series of laptop processors are all Zen 4.
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Zen 5 is the most recent launch and you’ll find AMD’s 9000 series desktop processors and its Ryzen AI 300 series of laptop chips that are based on it. All upcoming AMD Copilot+ PCs will be using one of the new Ryzen AI 300 CPUs.
Understanding AMD’s CPU naming convention
Just like Intel’s chips, all those numbers and letters in the name of an AMD CPU correlate to a class and performance tier in the whole lineup. We start with the basics which are the four classes – Ryzen 3, 5, 7, and 9. As you might have figured, the higher the number the better the performance. Ryzen 3 is usually for entry-level laptops, Ryzen 5 for mid-range offerings, Ryzen7 for performance oriented and gaming laptops, while Ryzen 9 is the absolute best performance for premium machines and high-end gaming laptops. In late 2022, AMD proposed a revised naming convention for its processors launching in 2023 and beyond. This chart from AMD is a good guideline to quickly understanding the type and class of the processor. The third number gives you a quick understanding of the Zen architecture, while the last letter lets you gauge the power draw.
AMD Ryzen processors with NPUs
The above naming convention does not account for what type of NPU is in the processor or if it even has one. AMD’s latest processors with a built-in NPU is the Ryzen AI 300 series. If you see a laptop with the Ryzen AI branding, it most likely has a built-in NPU for accelerating AI tasks. However, only the Ryzen AI 300 series of laptops will qualify to be a Copilot+ PC since their NPUs can achieve 50+ TOPS in performance (40 TOPS is the minimum to qualify).
If you don’t care about silly marketing terms but need a more affordable AMD laptop with an NPU, there’s the Ryzen 8000 series of mobile chips. Most of these processors (with the exception of the Ryzen 5 8540U and Ryzen 3 8440U) feature a built-in NPU with 16 TOPS performance. There are a bunch of Ryzen 7000 series laptop processors too with a 10 TOPS NPU onboard.
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AMD Athlon mobile CPUs
AMD’s Athlon series of processors were hugely popular at one point, but these have been all but replaced by Ryzen processors. AMD still has a small portfolio of Athlon mobile processors with a 7000 series branding, but these are all based on the Zen 2 architecture and should not be confused with the Ryzen 7000 series.
Picking the right AMD laptop for you
Now that you know how to identify an AMD laptop processor, choosing one should be a much simpler process. You can always refer to this handy chart at the end of the page to know more about the CPU in your laptop, before you pull the trigger. If you’re looking to keep your laptop for a long time, paying the slight premium for a Ryzen 8000 series processor makes sense. If you don’t have any specific workload or apps you have to run and are buying the laptop purely for general purpose use, there’s no need to look beyond a Ryzen 5-based laptop. This mid-range series should offer enough performance to run Windows 11, basic apps, and steam video.
If you’re into gaming or doing heavy workloads like photo or video editing, I’d recommend sticking to a Ryzen 7 model or higher only. A processor with an ‘HS’ or ‘HX’ suffix should be able to deliver enough power for demanding tasks. If you need a balance of power and battery life, then stick to a ‘U’ suffixed CPU.
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